Hulu’s popularity continues to grow, with 48.3 million subscribers in the third quarter of 2023, up from 46.2 million in the same period a year ago, according to the Hulu website and Statista, a global data platform. The streaming service offers several plans, price points and add-on options aimed to fit a range of budgets.
Hulu subscription cost
For consumers wanting only Hulu’s streaming library and not Live TV, Hulu offers plans with or without ads. The plan with ads costs $7.99 per month; or, if you sign up for annual billing, it’s $79.99 for the year (an annual savings of about $16 over monthly billing). Eligible students can get the ad-supported plan for $1.99 a month. The Hulu plan without ads costs $17.99 a month.
Hulu Live TV cost
The Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV bundle costs $89.99 per month and includes ad-free access to Hulu’s streaming library and Disney+ as well as ad-supported access to ESPN+. This plan also includes Hulu Live TV, with more than 90 live and on-demand channels, including national news networks, Comedy Central, E!, Cartoon Network and the Disney Channel.
The Hulu (With Ads) + Live TV bundle is $76.99 per month. It gets you the same services — Hulu, Live TV, Disney+ and ESPN+ — all with ads. For an extra $5 a month ($81.99 total), you can upgrade to ad-free Disney+.
You also have the option to go with the Live TV Only plan for $75.99 per month, which provides access to live content but not to the Hulu streaming library, Disney+ or ESPN+.
From least to most expensive, here’s how Hulu’s Live TV options break down:
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Live TV Only: $75.99 per month.
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Hulu (with ads), Live TV, Disney+ (with ads) and ESPN+ (with ads): $76.99 per month.
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Hulu (with ads), Live TV, Disney+ (no ads) and ESPN+ (with ads): $81.99 per month.
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Hulu (no ads), Live TV, Disney+ (no ads) and ESPN+ (with ads): $89.99 per month.
Hulu add-ons
Hulu also offers several add-on options. If you have an eligible Hulu plan, you can add the following subscriptions:
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ESPN+ for an additional $10.99 per month.
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Disney+ (with ads) for an additional $2 per month.
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Max (formerly HBO Max) for an additional $15.99 per month.
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HBO for an additional $15.99 per month.
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Cinemax for an additional $9.99 per month.
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Showtime for an additional $10.99 per month.
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Starz for an additional $9.99 per month.
How does Hulu fit into your budget?
No matter which Hulu option you go with, you can cancel services, switch plans, or add subscriptions at any time, although charges may apply until the end of your current billing cycle. You may also be able to pause your service. So how do you determine which Hulu plan fits your budget?
One way is to review the 50/30/20 budget framework, in which 50% of your take-home income is allocated to needs, 30% to wants, and 20% to savings and debt repayment. A subscription service like Hulu would reside in the wants category.
Going with an ad-supported plan will save some money, but if you’re already maxed out on wants and are hoping for ad-free viewing, consider cutting back elsewhere in the category, such as on travel or eating out.
Another option to make a more expensive plan work in your budget is to investigate rewards categories on credit cards you may have in your wallet. Some cards offer perks for streaming services, with as much as 6% cash back.
Lisa Mulka
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